Sean Duffy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sean Duffy
|
|
|---|---|
Duffy in 2025
|
|
| 20th United States Secretary of Transportation | |
| Assumed office January 28, 2025 |
|
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Pete Buttigieg |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 7th district |
|
| In office January 3, 2011 – September 23, 2019 |
|
| Preceded by | Dave Obey |
| Succeeded by | Tom Tiffany |
| District Attorney of Ashland County | |
| In office August 1, 2002 – July 9, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Michael Gableman |
| Succeeded by | Kelly McKnight |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sean Patrick Duffy
October 3, 1971 Hayward, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Rachel Campos
(m. 1999) |
| Children | 9 |
| Relatives | Leah Campos (sister-in-law) |
| Education | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (BA) William Mitchell College of Law (JD) |
Sean Patrick Duffy (born October 3, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer. He is currently the 20th United States Secretary of Transportation. He started this job in 2025, working for President Donald Trump.
Before this, he was a U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district. He served in Congress from 2011 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Duffy first became known as a TV personality on the reality show The Real World: Boston. He also appeared on Road Rules: All Stars and Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons. Later, he became the district attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin.
In November 2024, President Trump chose him to be the Secretary of Transportation. The United States Senate approved his nomination on January 28, 2025. He was sworn into office on the same day.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sean Duffy was born on October 3, 1971, in Hayward, Wisconsin. He was the tenth of 11 children in his family. He has Irish family roots.
He earned a marketing degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. He also has a law degree (called a J.D.) from William Mitchell College of Law.
Duffy started a sport called log rolling when he was five years old. At 13, he began speed climbing, which involves quickly climbing tall poles. He has won two speed-climbing titles.
Early Career and TV Appearances
In 1997, Sean Duffy was a cast member on The Real World: Boston. This was the sixth season of the MTV reality television show. In 1998, he appeared on Road Rules: All Stars, where he met his future wife, Rachel Campos.
Duffy also appeared on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons in 2002. He has also been a sports commentator for ESPN. In 2003, he was both a competitor and commentator on ESPN's Great Outdoor Games.
Political Journey
District Attorney Role (2002–2008)
Sean Duffy, a Republican, became the Ashland County District Attorney in 2002. He was appointed by Governor Scott McCallum. He was reelected without anyone running against him in 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
.jpg)
In 2009, Duffy announced he would run for Congress in Wisconsin's 7th congressional district. He won the election on November 2, 2010. This was part of a larger trend of Republicans winning seats in Congress that year.
He won his re-election campaigns in 2012 and 2014.
[[multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | width = | total_width = 300 | image1 = Sean Duffy, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg | image2 = Sean Duffy Official Portrait 115th Congress.jpg | caption_align = center | footer = Duffy during the 112th and 115th Congress ]] As a member of Congress, Duffy voted on many important issues. In 2011, he voted to change rules about wages for federal projects. He also supported President Donald Trump's 2017 order to temporarily stop people from seven countries from entering the U.S. He said this was to help keep Americans safe.
.jpg)
In 2017, Duffy also supported a law that would remove protections for grey wolves under the Endangered Species Act.
In 2018, he said that some countries were using "economic terrorism" by putting extra taxes (tariffs) on U.S. goods. This was in response to tariffs from the Trump administration.
Duffy left his position in Congress on September 23, 2019. He resigned to care for his newborn daughter, who had a heart condition.
Legislation and Committees
Duffy worked on laws related to financial services. He suggested changes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a group that protects consumers financially. He wanted to change its structure and how it gets money.
He also introduced a law in 2015 to create a financial oversight board for Puerto Rico. In 2018, he introduced more laws for President Trump to use tariffs.
He was part of the House Committee on Financial Services. He was also the chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
After Congress
After leaving Congress, Sean Duffy worked as a political commentator for CNN for a short time. He then joined a lobbying firm called BGR Group. Lobbyists try to influence government decisions on behalf of their clients. He worked with clients like Enterprise Products.
In December 2022, Duffy became a co-host of The Bottom Line, a show on Fox Business. The show started in January 2023.
Secretary of Transportation (2025–Present)
Nomination and Confirmation
In November 2024, President Donald Trump nominated Sean Duffy to be the United States Secretary of Transportation. During his hearing on January 15, 2025, Duffy said his first trip as Secretary would be to the Appalachian Mountains. This area in Tennessee and North Carolina had major damage from Hurricane Helene.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved his nomination. The full Senate confirmed him by a vote of 77–22 on January 28.
First Actions as Secretary
Sean Duffy was officially sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on January 28, 2025. The next day, Vice President JD Vance held a ceremonial swearing-in.
On his first day, Duffy signed a memo to change existing fuel standards for cars. He also aimed to remove incentives for electric vehicles. Another memo he signed focused on making transportation easier for families with young children. It also preferred communities with higher marriage and birth rates.
Duffy responded to a plane crash over the Potomac River on his first official day. He ordered an investigation and offered full support to the agencies involved. He spoke with leaders like the D.C. mayor and governors about the incident.
Views on Climate Change
Sean Duffy has shared his thoughts on climate change. In 2024, he questioned the causes of climate change on Fox Business. He suggested there should be a debate about whether it comes from CO2 or the sun.
Scientists generally agree that climate change is mainly caused by human activities. These include burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests.
Personal Life
Sean Duffy is a practicing Catholic. He is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, who was also on The Real World. They met while co-starring on Road Rules: All Stars. Rachel is also a personality on Fox News.
They lived in Ashland, Wisconsin, when Duffy was the District Attorney. Later, they moved to Weston, Wisconsin, to be closer to an airport for his trips to Washington, D.C.
As of August 2019, Sean and Rachel had eight children and were expecting their ninth. On August 26, 2019, Duffy announced he was leaving Congress. This was because his ninth child was expected to have health issues, including a heart condition. Their daughter, Valentina, was born on October 1 and was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
In August 2021, the Duffy family bought a home in Mendham Township, New Jersey. They live there now. Sean Duffy is the first person from New Jersey to serve in a presidential cabinet since Lisa P. Jackson.
Duffy's nephew, Erik Johnson, is a professional ice hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Images for kids
-
Duffy in 2025
-
Duffy campaigning for Congress in Eastern Wisconsin, 2010
-
Sean Duffy, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
Duffy during the 112th United States Congress
-
Duffy during the 115th United States Congress
-
Duffy speaking with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue at Northcentral Technical College in 2017
-
Duffy being ceremonially sworn in by Vice President JD Vance, 2025
-
Duffy signing a memorandum to reduce fuel standards, January 2025
-
Duffy family with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, 2019
